Luxury vacation getaway Puakea Ranch on the northern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii has completed the restoration of its fourth bungalow and has been added to the state's Register of Historic Places.
The restored, plantation-style homes were once occupied by ranching families beginning in the late 1860s. Today, they have full kitchens; Japanese-style outdoor bathhouses; shallow swimming pools; and herb gardens.
"When we found Puakea Ranch in a run-down and neglected state, we felt compelled to rescue it and preserve the history of how the ranch was developed," said Puakea Ranch owner Christie Cash. "We wanted to create a special place on the Big Island where families could come and take a small step back in time. We have planted gardens, resurrected the chicken coop, mended the fences, brought back the livestock and restored each home so that the history of Puakea can live on."
According to its owners, Puakea was set aside as crown lands and was held by King Kamehameha's granddaughter until acquired by James Wight in 1870. He cultivated sugar and raised cattle.
When he died in 1905 at the age of 91, his legacy as a sugar baron and rancher was augmented with his efforts in the field of horticulture as one of the first to import orchids from England and ironwood trees from Australia.
After her father's death, Wight's daughter, Clara, and her husband, Howard Bryant, continued the cultivation of sugar cane at Puakea until 1930, when the last crop was milled and the operation closed.
Cash and her husband, Jay Nelson, purchased a portion of the ranch property in May 2007 and began the restoration.
The property features two-bedroom bungalows and a studio bungalow to accommodate parties of various sizes. Rates range from $200 to $600 per night, depending on the size of the bungalow and the season.
Agents can check it out at www.myhawaiianranch.com.
